Walking the Lough Derg Way from Killaloe to Tountinna

Every view of Killaloe from the water has the same backdrop: the Arra Mountains rising behind Ballina on the Tipperary side, and Slieve Bernagh on the Clare side. The walk that gets you up into them starts at the cathedral door. The Lough Derg Way, the National Waymarked Way that Waterways Ireland describes as running from the tourist office in Limerick city to Dromineer on the lake, comes up the Clare bank, crosses the old bridge, and climbs out of Ballina onto the western slope of Tountinna to the Graves of the Leinstermen. It is a proper climb, so come fit.

The route at a glance

• Start: Royal Parade, beside St Flannan's Cathedral, Killaloe, Co. Clare.
• Finish: the Graves of the Leinstermen, Tountinna, Co. Tipperary.
• Distance: 8.7km one way, measured along the Lough Derg Way as mapped in OpenStreetMap.
• Climb: from about 40m at the bridge to over 400m on the hillside, dropping to about 260m at the stones. These heights come from a digital elevation model along the mapped line and are approximate.
• Time: allow about three hours up at a steady pace.
• Surface: pavement, then quiet country road, then waymarked path and track on open hill.

Through the two towns

The first stretch is flat and full of history. From Royal Parade the Way drops to the canal bridge, crosses Between the Waters, where the Sunday market stands, and goes over Killaloe Bridge into Co. Tipperary. On the far side it turns up Main Street in Ballina, past Goosers and Tuscany Bistro, and leaves the village by Grange Road. If you want coffee or something for your bag, get it on the Clare side, at Ponte Vecchio on Royal Parade or the shops on Convent Hill, before you start; there is nothing on the hill.

The climb

From the top of Grange Road it is a long pull north-east on narrow country roads, gaining height steadily. About 4.3km from the start, by our measurement on the mapped route, the Way leaves the tarmac for a footpath, and from here it is open hillside, with the foot of Lough Derg opening up behind you and the Clare shore and Slieve Bernagh across the water. The Way follows path and then a service track across the slope below Tountinna before swinging round its western side to the stones.

The Graves of the Leinstermen

What you find is one standing stone and a few fallen slabs in rough grass. Waterways Ireland describes it as a single standing stone flanked by trees, the others long slipped into the earth beside it, and gives the legend that these are the graves of soldiers slaughtered in the time of Brian Ború, while saying that the stones' real age is unknown. The point of coming is less the stone than the view: the whole southern end of Lough Derg spread out below.

Getting back

This is a linear walk. Either walk back the way you came, about 17km in all, or arrange a lift or a taxi from the car park by the stones. If someone can drive you up, Sport Ireland's trail register has a shorter option from that car park: the Graves of the Leinster Men Looped Walk, 5.6km, about 225m of ascent, rated moderate, around two hours, waymarked with red arrows on white, mostly on very quiet tarmac with a purpose-built gravel path for the final descent. Dogs are allowed on a lead.

Be ready for

• Weather. The upper half is open hillside. If cloud comes down, the view goes with it, so pick a clear day.
• Road walking. The roads out of Ballina are narrow country roads. Walk facing oncoming traffic and wear something visible.
• No facilities. No toilets, shop or water once you leave Ballina.
• Waymarking. National Waymarked Ways are signed, but carry a map or a downloaded route as well.

Shorter walks if the hill is too much

Killaloe heritage town walk

Waterways Ireland suggests a self-guided heritage walk around Killaloe, taking in the thirteenth-century cathedral and the eighteenth-century houses of Main Street, and says a free map is available from the tourist office by the bridge. Check the office is open before relying on it.

Crag Wood from Ballycuggaran

On the Clare side, Waterways Ireland describes the Crag Wood walk from the forest car park off the R463 between Killaloe and Tuamgraney: about 7km into the hills around the shoulder of Feenlea Mountain, a climb at the start and views over the lake on the way down.

Béal Ború

For a flat stroll, the ringfort at Béal Ború is about 1.5km north of the bridge on the Clare side, overlooking the point where the lake narrows into the river.